Studying Tango at DNI in Buenos Aires

Straight ahead you find a restaurant with a kind of sophisticated kitchen and a well stocked bar, where u can get smoothies, home-made cookies, salads, sandwiches, pasta, as well as some main dishes, and hang around with friends, teachers, or by yourself. Somebody plays guitar, strangers talk to you. A really relaxing place ist the rooftop, although too hot in summer times!

Study in privates follows a specific DNI teaching approach. You start with a private class with a teacher of your choice (if u book early enough in high season), or with one who is available. Teachers give maximum 4 privates a day, so slots are limited. In the lesson the teacher dances usually 2 warm-up-tangos with you (there are more teacher/student couples in the room), and then start to work with you on any topic you wish or she/he chooses. After having one lesson you will be booked for 2 hours of so-called private practica (if not otherwise requested from you), which means mainly dancing with (other) teachers. Since they talk to each other, there is a smooth transfer of the topic of your lesson, what you need to exercise, and the practica teacher will include many sequences to practise the new learned movements. She/he will as well give some corrections, but significantly less than in a lesson. Prices for private practicas are lower than for lessons, both vary depending on teacher's experience (as of march 2016 starting from 350 up to 800 arg. pesos). Compared to other teachers in town these are quite fair prices.

For me this approach worked very well, because the body and mind get a chance to focus on the changes, and to integrate it to dances with different partners. Since u will have classes and practica with many different teachers, you will be able to adapt on different styles, heights, embraces, and still work on your topic.

DNI teaches in a consistent, DNI specific system called TTC, so they have some special ideas about certain movements in tango. The technique is in some points different from the stuff I learned so far, but one experiences this with every new teacher. I like the idea about natural movements. But if u expect to be DNI the "tango nuevo school "- it's not anymore. Sure they teach big movements if you want, but I experienced a lot of close embrace dancing, tiny steps, and they focus a lot on connection and energy flow. DNI copes with actual developments in tango very well.

What is especially helpful for tango travelers having only 2 or 3 weeks of vacation: you can write to DNI in advance, and they make you a schedule based on your preferences, so u know what to expect from the very first day, and you don't lose days with organizing your tango lessons. Surprisingly classes begin mostly on time, so be there on time!
Lessons are given in english or spanish. Rooms have wooden floors and (a sometimes working, sometimes not working) aircon. You can take classes in contemporary dance for tango dancers, yoga for tango dancers, folklore, and alternative tango as well. There are no specific ladies technique classes, but technique classes for both leaders and followers, as well as classes on musicality, professional dance training, close embrace dancing, dancing in crowded milongas, ....
Overall I can strongly recommend DNI. I have been very skeptical, but I loved to be there, to study and hang around, and I like very much the progress I made. For more info see their website: DNI Tango